Figure 1.

Elementary summary of the various stages of cultivar development within a plant breeding program for a self-pollinating species. The description of planting formats used in the early generations are indicative in the sense that various breeding strategies exist [27, 28], within which the planting format will differ. The opportunity for phenomics through indirect selection is particularly strong in the early stages of the breeding program, when plants are grown in a space-plant configuration and reliable yield estimates are not attainable; assessment during these stages is largely subjective. For the purpose of discussion and to highlight the scale of assessment required, the range in the number of genotypes under assessment is indicated.